The Hindu Business Line : Power failure hits Paradip operations

At a standstill
Daily cargo throughput down to 35,000 tonnes
The port's coal, iron ore mechanised berths are the worst hit
IFFCO, Chambal captive fertiliser berths functioning

Kolkata May 24 Operations at Paradip port have been badly hit by power failure. Gridco, the Orissa-based power supplying agency, has been unable to supply power to the port since the afternoon of May 22 when a violent storm uprooted a 132 KV transmission tower located on an isolated island in the midst of the Luna river. Inquiries reveal that normal supply is unlikely to be restored before Friday (May 25) afternoon. The port requires about 15 MW of electricity a day. Earlier on May 20 also, the port had experienced power failure for about 17-18 hours again due to storm crippling the Gridco's power supply system at Duburi, near Kalinganagar.

Mechanised berths

Right now, the worst hit are the port's mechanised berths dependent entirely on electricity for its functioning. There are five mechanised berths - two coal berths, two fertiliser berths and one iron ore berth. Of these, the coal and iron ore berths are particularly affected. There is one ship each in these two berths - m.v. Haydar is due to load 33,300 tonnes of iron ore and m.v Good Season 69,000 tonnes of thermal coal.

Vessels waiting

At present, six vessels are waiting outside the port for berths and three of them are to load iron ore, including two in mechanical berths. Another six iron ore vessels slated for the mechanical berths and five thermal coal vessels for the coal berths are due to arrive within the next few days.

The fertiliser berths being captive berths of the two fertiliser majors, namely, IFFCO and Chambal Fertilisers, are however reporting normal operations by drawing power from the captive generating systems. Also, the eight berths where operation could be undertaken manually are functioning. However, the non-functioning of the mechanised berths has brought down daily cargo throughput substantially - to around 35,000 tonnes a day from the normal average of about 95,000 tonnes. The railway operations at the port too have taken a beating, it is learnt. This is because the tippling of iron ore rakes and unloading of coal rakes are not possible now.